More than half of drivers have admitted to speeding at some point last year, a survey revealed.

The poll’s findings also claimed men are more likely to break the limit than women, with 64% saying they drove too quickly in 2012.

Men are also more likely to be responsible for road rage, with nearly a quarter admitting to unnecessarily beeping their horn, compared to 16% of women.

While men might be angrier, they are slightly better than women when it comes to parking.

The survey by Liberty Insurance revealed yesterday a quarter of females admitted taking more than three turns when trying to park.

For guys the figure is only 17%.

Man drinking coffee while drinking

And the findings also showed vanity plays a major role in dangerous driving with 20% of the participants said they shaved, applied makeup or brushed their hair while behind the wheel.

Aimed at encouraging road users to think more about driver safety, the study revealed their worst habits.

Top of the list of our self-confessed bad practices was speeding, with 56% acknowledging they broke the limit last year.

A further 31% forgot to dim their lights when approaching on-coming cars, while 22% of participants said they drive too close to the car in front.

Furthermore, one in 10 motorists admitted they travelled without a seat belt in the past year.

Annette Ni Dhathlaoi, head of marketing at Liberty Insurance, encouraged drivers to nip their bad habits in the bud. She said: “Many drivers are guilty of bad habits such as tailgating, driving over the speed limit or taking our eye off the road which can lead to road accidents.

“We have published the research to encourage people to be more cognisant of their bad driving habits.”

And the research also shows drivers’ admissions are completely different to what other road users experience.

Almost half of drivers have experienced another motorist forcing them to pull over to allow an overtake manoeuvre, while only 4% admitted to doing this.

A further 66% of drivers have experienced another driver not using their indicator.

However, only 15% of participants confessed to failing to signal.

Most alarming, 1% of drivers admitted to travelling without a seat belt while children were in the car.

Despite that figure being so small, 40% of respondents claimed they observed this in the past year.

Mrs Ni Dhathlaoi said basic maintenance checks and common sense can contribute to safer roads and cutting crime.

She added: “By becoming more aware of our bad driver habits and by doing regular car checks, we will all contribute to reducing accidents and incidents such as break-ins and breakdowns on Irish roads.

“Our advice is to keep your vehicle well serviced and well equipped in the event of a breakdown.

“You should also keep valuables out of sight, take some rest stops on long trips and finally to recognise and reduce your individual bad habits such as tailgating, speeding or using mobile phones or other devices unless on hands-free.”